Thorpe's desire questioned

Sports writer with The Age

IAN Thorpe has declared he is not finished as an international swimmer, but Australian head coach Leigh Nugent has upped the ante, questioning whether Thorpe has the dedication to return to the top.

A bold Nugent has also said Thorpe must banish thoughts of being a sprinter and return to focusing on middle-distance events, of which he mastered during his pomp. Having emerged from retirement, the five-time Olympic champion failed to qualify for last year's London Olympics as a sprinter in the 100 metres and 200 metres, later blaming a lack of time to regain his best form.

Thorpe, 30, dominated the 400 metres during his glory years but dropped what was his signature event last year.

''I still have a life in the pool,'' he said. ''It would be nice to allow myself to come full circle in my swimming career.

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''I simply didn't have enough time [before London] to prepare the way I wanted to and I had to compromise.

''Now, I can do exactly the training that I need to do with time on my side and I can get a preparation that will enable me to swim really well.

''I've gone from a child who loved what they did, to really having that taken away from me and then being told I'm too old and too tired. Having success again would be what that younger athlete I once was would tell me to do.''

However, Nugent, told the BBC, said he was unsure whether Thorpe had the determination required to again dominate the sport.

''Ian is such an enigmatic character and a brilliant athlete, but if you really haven't got that gut-burning desire to do it well, then maybe you have to look at other things,'' he said. ''His heart is in swimming, but whether it's in the type of work that he needs to do to get where he'd like to be remains to be seen.''

Thorpe's next major focus is likely to be the Australian trials from April 26, ahead of the World Championships in Barcelona in July.

Nugent also said Thorpe was more suited to being a middle-distance swimmer. ''His physiology suits the 200 to 400 metres area, and to try and break into the sprint area is pretty tough for him. He needs to settle down and really apply himself to the sort of types of training that he would need to do for the 200 metres.''

Thorpe, who revealed in his autobiography last year he had suffered depression, could also aim for next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.